Humility, humanity, and humor all have the same linguistic root, and they each can play a role in cultivating a grateful outlook. In this message, Jim shares stories and reflections on the theme of gratitude.

Writer Neil Gaiman said, “The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.”

Easter and April Fools’ Day haven’t shared a Sunday in more than sixty years, and it’s the perfect day to begin exploring our April assembly theme, play. Rev. Jim will look at these two very different holidays and the role of humor in the human experience.

Pahoua Yang Hoffman provides a bit of Citizens League history, touches on the main strategic areas of the League and finishes with why the Citizens League is not only relevant now but is needed more than ever in the current political climate. Pahoua Yang Hoffman is the seventh executive director of the Citizens League, and is the first woman and the first person of color to hold the position in the organization’s 65-year history. Prior to being appointed executive director, Pahoua was policy director. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Brian.

With the unfolding conversations and awareness around gender identity and diversity, how do we understand what it means to be “us” in ways that welcome and open the fullness of all our gender identities and possibilities? Rev. Karen Hering has developed this service with Catherine Charles Hammond, her son, who will join her in leading it and will perform their own musical offering as part of the service.

450 years of Religious Toleration in 20 Minutes or Less. Critical thinking and freedom of the pulpit have been used for centuries as levers to resist theocracy. Rev. Kelli asks: What legacy do we inherit from the Edict of Torda, signed on January 28, 1568?

]]>Kelli ClementKelli ClementPodcasts – First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis25:15noFirst,Unitarian,Society,UU,Unitarian,Universalisthttp://firstunitarian.org/assembly-january-28-from-torda-to-the-twin-cities/Why Do We Do What We Do?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/firstunitariansocietyminneapolispodcasts/~3/MvuwcyWB4t4/
Sun, 21 Jan 2018 16:34:29 +0000fus.webteam@gmail.com (First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis)http://firstunitarian.org/?p=12525Speaker: Rev. David Breeden
Sunday, January 21, 2018

I recently ran into the term “micro-religion” for the first time. Is the future of religion “micro”? Religions and philosophies have always been about a personal search, but when does “personal” become solipsistic?

The Page Education Foundation’s mission is to encourage Minnesota’s youth of color to pursue post-secondary education by providing financial support in the form of Page Grants to students of color. In return the Page Scholars help develop positive attitudes among youth and serve as tutors and mentors in their community. Since 1988 more than 6,750 Page Grants have been given out totally $14 million

Alan Page spent 15 years in the NFL with 11 years as a Minnesota Viking. In 1988 he was inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame. He earned a law degree in 1978 and won election to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1992. He was re-elected several more times before reaching mandatory retirement in 2015.

Mary Grigiola wrote: The darkness takes courage; the darkness takes time.” Living this far north brings us more hours of dark than much of the world experiences. What gifts does the dark bring us, and what patience do we need to unwrap such gifts?

As scholars and pundits have tried to make sense of the November 2016 election, they have focused on the frustration and anger of the white working class. There are deep historical roots to such concerns, but intervention is also possible, leading to other outcomes. The East Side Freedom has been working for three and a half years to build solidarity in St. Paul’s most diverse neighborhood.

Peter Rachleff taught labor, immigration, and African American history at Macalester College for 30 years. In 2014, he and his partner launched the East Side Freedom Library, which is becoming a cultural crossroads and a site of solidarity.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Shults was a student and professor of Christian theology for over 30 years. Before moving to Norway, he taught at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, MN, from 1997 to 2006. Over the years, he published 11 books and over 50 articles attempting to take contemporary science and philosophy seriously and challenge the implicit (and often explicit) racism, classism, and sexism entangled within traditional Christian doctrines and ecclesiastical practices. Then he realized that the problem was theism itself. Now he is a happy atheist. Shults has written several new books and articles on the scientific study of religion and the philosophical joys of godlessness. He is also the director or co-director of four international research projects that utilize computer models and simulations to explore the causes and effects of the widespread human tendency to engage in religious sects.

Sometimes it’s not possible to be grateful for the things that happen, in our lives or in our world. As we explore the theme of gratitude this month, Rev. Jim will look at the challenges of appreciating the seemingly unappreciatable.

Halloween, Samhain, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Day of the Dead. Throughout ages and cultures, people of the northern hemisphere have imagined that the autumn turn of the season is a time when the living are close to their dear departed. What if we extend a mythic sense of cooperation with those who came before us, and with those who will follow? What have our past and future generations to teach us about how to live today?

Parallel play. It’s a natural developmental stage for children. However, it isn’t why congregations exist. The Third Principle of Unitarian Universalism is “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.”

We begin our 136th year here at FUS with our traditional community celebration of water brought together from our varied summer experiences. What can water teach us about ourselves, life, and community?

Change is a constant, but sometimes change comes faster than other times. As we prepare to celebrate the opening of our updated building, it’s a good time to reflect on where we’re coming from, where we are, and where we’re going.

]]>David BreedenDavid BreedenPodcasts – First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis24:17noFirst,Unitarian,Society,UU,Unitarian,Universalisthttp://firstunitarian.org/assembly-september-3-what-just-happened/First Unitarian Society of MinneapolisnonadultSermons from the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, a Unitarian Universalist Humanist Congregation Celebrating the Human Spirit Within Us All